Plaiting apparatus.



No. 664,72I. Patented Dec. 25, I900. T. W. BASTLEMAN.

PLAITING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 22, 1900.}

No Model.) 3 Shaets$hoet I.

No. 664,72l; Patented Dec. 25, I900. T. W. CASTLEMAN.

PLAITING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jun. 22, 1906..

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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PLAITING APPARATUS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EEICE.

THOMAS W. OASTLEMAN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PLAITING APPARATUS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,721, dated December 25, 1900.

Application filed January 22,1900. Serial No. 2,899. (No model.)

To coZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. CASTLE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plaiting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide simple, effective, and conveniently-manipulated means for plaiting cloth or other material in various formssuch as accordion-plaiting, knifeplaiting, boX-plaiting, ruching, &c.or, more generally speaking, for forming cloth into folds, regular or otherwise.

To these ends my invention consists in providing two conforming matrices arranged in folds corresponding to the form of the folds to be imparted to the material and adapted to be distended or straightened out for convenience in separating them and laying the material between them, then gathered or folded with the material between them, pressed firmly together, and held tightly under pressure in their folded or gathered position for any length of time by suitable means to permit the material to become set in the form imparted to it, and which latter effect may be assisted by applying heat and pressure, or both, to the opposite sides of the block of folded matrices thus formed by ironing the edges of the folds when pressed together.

My invention further consists in providing a frame or table to assist in gathering or folding the matrices and forcing them together as they are thus gathered or folded, so as to cause the material to conform accurately to the folds of the matrices.

My invention further consists in the specific means employed for securing the matrices in folded or gathered position, which means forms part of the manipulating-frame, but is readily removable therefrom with the block of gathered matrices to retain the alinement thereof and pressure upon it in the direction of folding while the material is obtaining its set.

My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete apparatus and suggesting the mode of manipulating it. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the relative posi tions of the two matrices and the material between them as the successive folds of the matrices approach and reach the folded position. Fig. 3 is a plan of the completed apparatus with the matrices secured in folded position and ready to be removed from the frame for the purpose of applying heat and pressure, if necessary, or for laying away to permit the material to become set in the form imparted to it. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through Fig. 3in the plane of one of the alining and locking rods. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the folded matrices with their ret aining means removed from the frame. Fig. 6 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating one of many constructions that may be employed for the matrices.

1 represents a base, which may be a table, an ordinary lap-board, or in any other suitable form, and upon itare mounted, preferably for a portion of its length, guides 2, spaced apart by about the length of the folds of the matrices, so that the edges of said matrices will he guided as the matrices are gathered and the folding of the cloth caused to take place evenly. Surmounting the guides 2 are overhanging flanges 3, that engage above the matrices in order to hold the latter down and press the upper matrix into the lower one when in folded position to cause the material to conform accurately to the folds which are to impart to it its shape. The flanges 3 are made removable, if desired, by securing them in place through the medium of nuts 4, threaded upon studs 5, which project upwardly from the guides 2 or through said guides from the base, as may be desired. At one end of the guides 2 is located an abutting and clamping bar 6, against which the end fold of the matrices is placed when the operation is started and which supports the gathering folds as they are successively brought up into position, this operation being conveniently carried out, as suggested in the drawings, by gathering the folds successively with the fingers. To assist in raising both the upper and lower strips of the matrices simultaneously in folding, the matrices are provided with openings '7, (in a manner to be hereinafter described,) through which a small instrument may readily be inserted to pick up the strip of the under matrix in starting each fold. The manner in which the folds form will be more clearly understood upon reference to Fig. 2, in which the two end folds are shown completed and successive folds in various stages of formation.

When the matrices are completely folded, a locking-bar 8 (shown detached in Fig. l) is placed at the end of the folds between the guides 2, as shown in Fig. 3, and the lockingrods 9 are then introduced through clampingbar 6, through the openings 10 of the folds of the matrices, and through the locking-bar 8, said locking-bar being tightly pressed against the folds and then secured against displacement by means of set-screws ll impinging upon the rods 9, as shown in Fig. 4. The matrices, with the interposed material, are then secured in a rigid compact block of folds, which may now beremoved from the frame by unscrewing the nuts 12 from the studs 13 of the clamping bar 6 and removing the flanges, 3 orif it is desired to leave the flanges 3 in tact both the nuts 12 and studs 13, or whatever securing means is employed for the clamping-bar 6, may be removed entirely and the block withdrawn from between the guides. The block thus withdrawn is in the condition suggested by Fig. 5, which, it willbe seen, is in convenient shape for applying heat and pressure by means of an iron to the edges of the folds which go to make up the opposite surfaces of the block, provided this may be necessary in giving a set to the plaited material, or the block is in convenient shape to he laid away for the necessary time to permit the material to take its set. It will be understood that from the mode of building up the block of folds as already described there is not only pressure in the direction of folding caused by adjusting the locking-bar 8, but there is also pressure in the direction to force the matrices together, which results from forcing the matrices into vertical position beneath the flanges 3. These two pressures cause am ple creasing effect upon the material.

I do not limit myself to any particular construction of matrices so long as this part of my invention embodies continuous upper and lower matrices folded to provide a series-of strips forming matrix-spaces into which the material is forced by the intermeshing mat rices to form the folds. I prefer, however, to form the matrices by folding any suitable material-such as paper, cloth, or the like into strips of such form as the design of plaiting may require and to reinforce said strips by combining therewith between the bends suitable strips of paper, cloth, metal, or the like, which will give body and stifiness and maintain the accuracy of the folding. Such a construction of matrix is disclosed in Fig. 6, wherein 14 represents a two-ply or flexible portion of the. matrix and 15 an interposed stiifening-strip of metal located in one of the v matrix, however, will naturally vary under" different. conditions.

The matrices may also be provided with holes or openings at suitable points to permit the operator to inspect the material upon which he is working. In practice the metallic stifiening-strips will be on but one of the matrices, preferably the lower one; but some form of stiffening-strips are likewise used on the other or upper matrix and metal stifie'ning-strips may be used in connection with 7 either matrix, or they may be used on both matrices, if desired. It will also be under stood that the matrices and the frame must he made of sufficient transverse dimension to receive the material being treated in the space between the locking-rods 9, and also that the folds must be regulated to accord with the size of plaits or folds to be imparted to the material.

An apparatus as above described is not" only simple in construction, effective in use, and convenient in manipulation, but it works with much more rapidity and uniformity than hand plaiting-machines heretofore con- Ioo structed. Moreover, it will plait the finest and most delicate fabric without pulling or stretching the material or injuring it in any manner, forthe continuous upper and lower ing glazed or otherwise changed in appearance by contact with the iron, and also prevent the metallic strips usually employed from cutting the material at the angle or bend,

which result is likely to occur from the use of plaiting apparatus as heretofore constructed.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A pair of matrices constructed with cor-.

responding intermeshing folds and stiifeni'ng- IIO strips located in the folds, so as to adapt the folded matrices to be placed as a body in horizontal position for ironing the edges of the folds on the stiffening-strips as a support for the folds.

2. A pair of matrices constructed with cor-' responding intermeshing folds, stifiening strips located in the folds, and means for securely holding the folded matrices tightly together at the ends of the folds so as to adapt.

the folded matrices to be placed as a body in horizontal position, with the edges of the folds and their stiffening-strips in vertical position for ironing the edges of the folds on the edges of the stilfening-st-rips as a support for the folds independently of a manipulating-frame.

I05 v matrices protect the material, prevent its be- 7 r A pair of matrices constructed with corresponding intermeshing folds, each matrix being formed of two-ply material, and pockets in the folds between the plies, stiffeningstrips located in the pockets, and means for securely holding the folded matrices tightly together at the ends of the folds so as to adapt the folded matrices to be placed as a body in horizontal position, with the edges of the folds and their stiffening-strips in vertical position for ironing the edges of the folds on the edges of the stiffening-strips as a support for the folds independently of a manipulating-frame.

4. A pair of matrices constructed with corresponding intermeshing folds,and stiffeningstrips located at one side of each fold and alternately arranged in the matrices, and means for securely holding the folded matrices tightly together at the ends of the folds so as to adapt the folded matrices to be placed as a body in horizontal position, with the edges of the folds in vertical position for ironing the edges of the folds on the edges of the stiffening-strips as a support for the folds independently of a manipulating-frame.

5. A pair of matrices constructed with corresponding intermeshing folds, pockets located at one side of each fold and alternately arranged in the matrices, and stiffening-strips located in the pockets, and means for securely holding the folded matrices tightly together at the ends of the folds, so as to adapt the folded matrices to be placed as a body in horizontal position, with the edges of the folds in vertical position for ironing the edges of the folds on the edges of the stiffening-strips as a support for the folds independently of a manipulating-frame.

6. A plaiter comprising a pair of matrices constructed with corresponding intermeshing folds, and openings at the ends of the folds, locking-rods extending through the openings and on which the folded and gathered matrices are threaded to form a block of folds, and means secured to the rods for holding the block of folds solidly together.

7. A plaiter comprising a pair of matrices constructed with corresponding intermeshing folds, stiffening-strips located in the folds,and openings at the ends of the folds, locking-rods extending through the openings and on which the folded and gathered matrices are threaded to form a block of folds, and means secured to the rods for holding the block of folds solidly together. 8. A plaiter comprising a continuous body of material folded to provide a series of suitably-formed matrix-spaces, having openings in the folds thereof and locking-rods on which the matrix is threaded at both side edges, and having the portions forming the sides of said spaces reinforced by strengthening strips; substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 9. A plaiter comprising a pair of matrices constructed with corresponding intermeshin g folds and openings at the ends of the folds, a clamping-bar having end openings coinciding with the openings in the folds, a locking-bar having end openings coinciding with the openings in the folds, locking rods extending through the openings in the clampingbar, folds, and a locking-bar, and means for securing the locking-bar to the locking-rods.

Signed at New Orleans, Louisiana, this 18th day of January, 1900.

THOMAS W. oAsTLEMAN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES CARROLL, JOSEPH W. CARROLL. 

